Diffraction glasses are accessories that aim to boost a person’s experience during raves, concerts, music festivals and fireworks shows. The rave glasses make you feel like you are a part of the show by providing a more immersive experience from the light source. Knowing what diffraction glasses are and how they work could help you have more fun the next time you go to a concert or live music event with a light show.

What are Diffraction Glasses?

At a glance, diffraction glasses look like any other pair of fashion glasses. When you look closer, you will see that they are laser-etched, creating a type of prism glasses. The laser etching delivers a stunning visual effect thanks to principles of physics called light diffraction. When white light is diffracted, it breaks apart into its separate colors. As lights are shown in different directions at a festival or rave, the glasses create a rainbow type of effect that your eyes perceive as moving and streaking.

How Diffraction Glasses Work

Sir Isaac Newton discovered the principles of light diffraction. He found that when white light passed through a prism, it diffracted into seven colors, including red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet. These are also referred to as the “Roy G. Biv” colors of the rainbow.

Diffraction glasses work by creating a grating of thousands of lines on the surface of the lens. When the light source reaches those lines, the beam of photons breaks into the spectrum of colors. With your eyes behind the grated lens, you see the colorful effects. When there is more than one beam of light hitting your rainbow glasses, the effects can be stunning. Some of the best situations in which to wear your diffraction glasses include:

• Christmas trees and light shows
• Roller rinks with disco lights
• Concerts and music festivals
• Watching videos, movies, and shows at home
• Carnivals
• Riding mass transit at night
• Watching vehicles drive when it’s dark
• Fireworks and laser shows
• Plays and other performances with stage lighting

Try out your diffraction glasses in different environments, including outdoor and indoor events.

American Paper Optics creates diffraction glasses that can withstand plenty of activity. They will last for a long time, so you can wear them to concerts, music festivals, raves, and other types of light shows for years to come. We offer a range of frame colors and styles. These glasses are affordable, so you can pick a few pairs to coordinate with the different outfits that you like to wear at various types of events. We offer full product support for all of our prism glasses.